Here’s an idea: why not simply ask the public what they want in a car? Focus groups are one thing, but Volkswagen is taking this concept to extremes with its newly launched People’s Car Project. The ostensible goal of the project is to solicit advice from some of China’s 450 million internet users; advise that will shape a new model for the Chinese domestic market.

Dubbed “mass manufacturing” by Volkswagen, the Orwellian-sounding project will run for one year and gather Chinese consumers’ input in the form of text, images and film through the Zaoche website. There will also be competitions where users can vote for their favourite designs, and prizes will be handed out to the best. If proven successful, the same idea could be implemented in other regions as well.

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Bentley Motors sold 396 cars in Mainland China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) in the first four months of 2011, an all-time record result for the Asian market. With this number, Bentley broke its previous record set just last year, by an amazing 66 percent increase in sales.

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Audi has revealed the first official teaser sketches of its Q3 ‘baby’ SUV model, prior to its world premiere at the Shanghai Auto Show later this month. The drawings confirm the Q3 will look pretty much like the Cross Coupe quattro design study unveiled by Audi in 2007.

However, the front end of the production Q3 seems changed in comparison with the aforementioned concept, with the headlights sporting a thinner, stretched shape and being mirrored in the lower side of the bumper by the spaces for the fog lights.

At the back, the car looks similar to the concept, with the exception of the tailgate window angle, which is not as inclined as on the Cross Coupe quattro.

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BMW has teamed up with joint venture partner Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. to develop a new plug-in hybrid model based on the long wheelbase version of the local market 5 Series Sedan, which is available exclusively in China. The prototype model will receive its world premiere at the Auto Shanghai 2011 later this month.

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Mercedes-Benz plans to show up at this month’s Shanghai Auto Show with a brand new concept for a spectacular looking A-Class model. While the Concept A-Class is just what its name says it is – a prototype study - it’s also a very good indication of where the company plans to take its BMW 1-Series and Audi A3 rival with the presentation of the next generation model that is scheduled to go on sale in 2012.

For starters, Mercedes is giving up the minivan-like silhouette of the current A-Class for a more dramatic and sporty looking two-box profile with a long bonnet and a low roof-line. The concept’s exterior design details are heavily influenced by Stuttgart’s most recent prototypes such as the CLS Shooting Brake and especially the F800.

Aside from the new nose with a prominent Mercedes grille, the three-door Concept A-Class also features concave surfaces with sweeping lines throughout the body.

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Being that China is one of BMW’s largest and most important markets in the world, it only makes sense that the Bavarian company bring all of its products including any special models like the 7-Series Steinway & Sons Limited Edition that was first shown in late 2010. The special edition 7er, which was created by BMW Individual as part of an exclusive partnership with New York-based piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons, was revealed at a special event in China.

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When it comes to making cars, China is king. We’re talking the world’s largest car market, with over a hundred individual marques. So why is it that there are virtually zero Chinese car manufactures selling cars in the U.S. aka the world’s other largest car market?

So far, China’s “Big Four” (well, the four most visible to those outside of China) have made and broken promises of bringing their vehicles to the North American market. Brilliance, Chery, Nanjing and Geely have all backed down from their plans to open dealerships and factories stateside. So far, not a single car from China's major automakers has touched down on U.S. soil outside a motor show.

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Chinese automaker BYD marked its fourth consecutive appearance at the North American International Auto Show with the world premiere of the S6DM hybrid, with the DM in the name standing for "Dual-Mode".

The gasoline-electric hybrid is based on the Chinese firm's S6, a mid-size SUV model first introduced at the Shanghai Auto Show in 2009. And no, you're not the only one to find the overall styling of the S6 reminiscent of the previous generation Lexus RX.

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Li Shufu, president of current Volvo owner, China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., appears to be having some issues with Volvo executives regarding the brand's future plans. According to Auto News Europe, there are two major issues: 1) the types of cars Volvo wants to build, and 2) brand marketing.

Mr. Li thinks Volvo should build larger cars for the Chinese market and go after the premium segment with BMW/Mercedes competitors. Volvo higher-ups, on the other hand, want smaller, more efficient cars that may not necessarily appeal to premium buyers. Li says he's willing to bend a little if the managers running Volvo won't, because "they have brought Volvo to where it is today...They must have good reasons."

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Chinese automaker BYD (Build Your Dreams) and Mercedes-Benz's parent company Daimler AG have set up a new joint venture called "Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co. Ltd," to develop electric vehicles for China.

The two companies said that they are planning to invest a total of 600 million yuan (US$87.9 million) in the 50-50 partnership in China.

According to a statement made by Daimler, the German automaker will bring its "know-how in electric vehicle architecture and safety" to the venture, while BYD will contribute "it's excellence in battery technology and e-drive systems".

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For better or for worse, Ford Motor Company has finalized a deal to sell Volvo Cars and related assists (primarily intellectual property) to Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Company Limited for US$1.8 billion (€1.35 billion at today's exchange rates).

The Detroit company said that the transaction will be made in the form of a note in the amount of US$200 million and the remainder in cash.

It's worth noting that Geely has acquired Volvo at a fraction of what Ford paid for the Swedish automaker at $6.5 billion in 1999.

Ford said that even though Geely owns 100 percent of Volvo, due to the fact that the Swedish automaker's cars share core components and technologies with its own vehicles, it will continue to supply the company with powertrains, stampings and other vehicle components for an undefined period.

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General Motors and its Chinese partner Shanghai Auto (SAIC) presented today a new trio of self-balancing two-wheeler concept vehicles that will be showcased in public for the first time at the SAIC-GM Pavilion at World Expo 2010 Shanghai that runs from May 1 through October 31.

Called the EN-V, which is short for Electric Networked-Vehicle, the two-seater concept is tailored to the crowded mega-cities of the future.

If the whole project sounds a bit familiar, that's because the EN-V is an evolution of the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility (P.U.M.A.) prototype that was co-developed by GM and Segway and debuted in April 2009.

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Trouble's a-brewin' in the Ford/Geely Volvo sale, or so Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Chairman Li Shufu implies. The good news is it doesn't sound too serious.

Automotive News states that there may have been a "snag due to problems at Ford Motor Co."; regardless, Chairman Li says, "We're ready to seal the deal...If the deal fails, the problem is not on our side. We have not violated any part of the agreement."

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As of today, General Motors has officially declared that Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co., Ltd. (try saying that ten times fast, I'll wait) won't be buying the Hummer brand after all. If you don't recall, Tengzhong is the Chinese company that thought it could make the Hummer business work in today's world.

There are many rumors to as why China officials would not support the transaction including Beijing's political agendas and environmental concerns (wait, Hummer's aren't efficient and green?), but fact is, the proposed deal is dead.

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Porsche is expanding its sports saloon line-up with the introduction of the entry-level Panamera (RWD) and Panamera 4 (AWD) models that are both powered by a 3.6-liter V6 gasoline engine with direct fuel injection of VW Group origin that is about 30kg or 66 lb lighter than the V8 on the Panamera S/4S models.

The V6 churns out a maximum output of 300 horsepower and 400Nm or 295 lb-ft of peak torque, and is linked to a PDK double-clutch gearbox, which like the Start & Stop system, comes as standard on the Panamera.

We don't know if this tells you something about the entry-level Panamera, but Porsche's release omits performance figures mentioning only fuel consumption and CO2 emissions numbers.

According to the Germans, the rear-wheel drive Panamera makes do with 9.3 lt/100km (equal to 30.4mpg UK or 25.3mpg US), while the all-wheel drive model averages 9.6 lt/100km (29.4mpg UK or 24.5mpg US).

As an option, Porsche offers 19-inch alloy wheels with optimized roll resistance tires that reduce these consumption figures by another 0.2 lt/100 km (+0.5mpg US), giving the Panamera a CO2 rating of 213 g/km and the Panamera 4, 220 g/km.

The Panamera V6 models will have their world premiere at the 2010 Beijing Motor Show in April and go on sale in Europe in May, and other markets including the UK and the U.SA. in June.

In Germany, the Panamera V6 starts at €75,899 (about US$103,275) rising to €84,110 (around US$114,500) for the Panamera 4 V6. UK pricing has been set at £61,461 for the Panamera, and £66,929 for the Panamera 4, while in the US. $74,400 will get you in a RWD model and $78,900 in the AWD version.

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While Toyota is the main car manufacturer to be affected by the faulty accelerator pedals (not to be confused with the floor-mat related sticky accelerator issues) made by Indiana-based supplier CTS Corp., it isn't the only one.

The Associated Press as well as the USA Today reported today that Ford has halted production of its Transit Classic van in China because it has a similar type of pedal assembly made by CTS as the ones blamed for Toyota's recall in the States.

"When anybody has an issue in the industry, we check everything about the Ford system and production process," said Ford CEO Alan Mulally. "It's our assessment right now that this is very isolated."

It is also reported that Toyota has issued a new recall of 75,000 vehicles in China for the same matter.

Earlier today, Toyota said that it is investigating the issue on its European models also.

Thanks for the tip 3Deuce27! , Via: USA Today

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French carmaker Peugeot took the wraps off its new China-made 408 sedan in Beijing on Monday. Despite its name, the 408 is not a successor to the European 407, which is also available in China, but a long-wheelbase (+100mm), sedan version of Peugeot's 308 range that includes three and five-door hatchback, coupe-convertible and station wagon models.

Designed and developed jointly by Peugeot's Styling teams in Europe and China, the 408 is the fruit of work by the joint venture set up between PSA Peugeot Citroen and the Chinese group DFM.

The 408 measures 4.68 meters in length, 1.81 meter in width and has a wheelbase of 2.71 meters, meaning it's roughly the same size as the 407 sedan (4.69m, 1.81m and 2.72m respectively).

At launch, the 408 sedan will be available in China with a choice of 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter gasoline engines producing 106HP and 147HP respectively.

The sedan is being produced at the Wuhan plant in Hubei province in China with Peugeot expecting full-year sales target of 100,000 units.

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